In the search for new sources of energy, much attention has been lavished on the use of solar power and, in particular, upon various types of solar collectors which serve to heat a fluid which is in turn either utilized directly or used to heat the living space in a home or other stucture. In particular, it is well established in the art to utilize a window or window opening as a solar collector as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,955,555; 3,903,665; 2,595,905; 3,107,052 and 4,301,787. U.S. Pat. No. 2,595,905 also utilizes a venetian-blind type of apparatus to cover and uncover the solar cell.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,787 to Rice discloses a solar heat collector which is placed across an open window area for selectively heating the interior of a dwelling place or the like. The collector includes a plurality of fins transversely disposed across the window area. Means are provided for reversing the orientation of the fins between a heat absorbing and heat reflective disposition. In such a venetian blind system, heat is generated within an insulating chamber when the sun's rays impinge on the fins. Heat loss is a problem in such svstems as the heat must be transferred from the fins to the air carried through the interior chamber. It is therefore desirable to provide a solar collector having the working fluid or media passing directly through its louver or fin to thereby maximize heat retention.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a device which provides improved efficiency and utility over the above-mentioned prior art devices and which may be easily and inexpensively manufactured.